Details Still to Come on Proposal to End SGR

Details on a recently released bipartisan framework that would drop the sustainable growth rate (SGR) from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' payment methodology and shift to alternative payment models (APMs) are still being developed, and APTA will be monitoring the proposal as specifics are worked out.

The draft being considered by the Senate Finance and House Ways and Means Committees is still in its earliest stages and lacks many important details. The framework proposes an end to the current flawed SGR system, a freeze on payment rates until 2023, and the development of a value-based performance payment program.

As expected, the proposal as initially drafted does not address Medicare extenders, including the Medicare therapy cap, or any offsets to the cost of this legislation; however, language in the framework indicates that discussion on these issues continues, with the goal being to find bipartisan solutions. APTA is monitoring the development of the framework and will share more information once details come into focus.

The draft framework comes at a time when APTA is urging its members to join a grassroots effort to call on Congress to end both the SGR and the therapy cap. The effort will be amplified on November 4, when physical therapists (PTs), physical therapist assistants (PTAs), and their supporters engage in a concentrated e-mail and social media effort to help legislators understand the importance of putting an end to both policies. There is still time to join this effort by signing up for the November 4 Thunderclap and finding out more about how to contact legislators.